The OverAchiever: Master of Strand of the Ancients

The Battleground weekend is just about over, but here's a little guide to help players get Master of Strand of the Ancients, one of the requirements for the Battlemaster meta-Achievement. Because it's a new Battleground with no faction associated with it, obtaining this Achievement is relatively easier than the others. Games are guaranteed to end within twenty minutes or less, and players won't need to concern themselves with any reputation gains. Here's what players need to do:

Strand of the Ancients VeteranWin 100 games. As with all the Battleground veteran Achievements, this is just a matter of time and takes little effort, but a lot of perseverance.Difficulty: ModerateSteady HandsDisarm 5 Massive Seaforium Charges in a single battle. This necessitates that enemy players plant the explosives, which they don't always do. Some offense rely purely on the power of siege vehicles to break down gates. It is a two second channel to dismantle one, and is easily broken by any attack except periodic damage. Players must have a keen eye for the charges, which can be easily obfuscated by smoke and siege vehicle debris. Players must also disarm the charge themselves, so having to compete with teammates makes the Achievement much more difficult. Done on defense.Difficulty: Hard

Explosives ExpertPlant 5 Seaforium Charges which successfully damage a wall in a single battle. This is much easier to do than the previous Achievement, as many players on defense will be focused on destroying tanks. It will take ten seconds for an explosive to go off, and any hit on enemies will disrupt their attempts to dismantle it. Players pursuing the Achievement can even attack walls opposite the ones being focused on by siege vehicles so there are fewer defenders. Done on offense.Difficulty: EasyThe Dapper SapperPlant 100 Seaforium Charges which successfully damage a wall. This is the same as Explosives Expert spread over any number of games. Because this is purely an individual effort that doesn't require enemies to plant bombs or use tanks, this is one of the easiest 'do 100 of this' Achievement. Done on offense.Difficulty: Easy

Artillery ExpertDestroy 5 vehicles using a siege turret in a single battle. This should encourage players to man the cannons in Strand of the Ancients. It's important to note that players need only to deal some damage to a tank in order for it to count towards this Achievement, and not necessarily deal the killing blow. Hit some tanks, and hope that teammates finish the job. Players need to be on manning the turret when a vehicle is destroyed for kills to count. Done on defense.Difficulty: Easy

Artillery VeteranDestroy 100 vehicles using a siege turret. Same as Artillery Expert, but spread over any number of games. As the veteran title would reveal, it's a matter of perseverance over time. Done on defense.Difficulty: ModerateDrop it now!Kill 5 players carrying seaforium charges in a single battle. If opponents are doing their jobs, this is a very easy Achievement to get and usually unlocked during a player's first game. Players don't need to deal the killing blow, but just be in the vicinity of the kill. Done on defense.Difficulty: EasyDrop It!Kill 100 players carrying seaforium charges. This is even easier than The Dapper Sapper, which takes conscious effort. Players will get this Achievement through the course of playing several games of Strand of the Ancients without even trying. Done on defense.Difficulty: Easy

Ancient ProtectorKill 10 players in the Courtyard of the Ancients in a single battle. A nod to the Ancient Protectors of Warcraft III, this is another ridiculously easy Achievement provided either side manages to breach the Gate of the Yellow Moon. Again, this doesn't require killing blows, so leeching off 10 Honorable Kills is extremely easy. Just like Drop it now!, this is usually one of the first Achievement players unlock in Strand of the Ancients. Done on offense and defense.Difficulty: EasyStorm the BeachCapture the Titan Relic in under four minutes. This is easier than it sounds, and is about the easiest of the timed win Achievements of the Battlegrounds. It was bugged prior to Patch 3.0.8, which counted the pre-match period and in between, making it impossible to unlock. However, teams can make quick work of gates with focused fire from siege vehicles. Unlike most of the other Achievements, one player can't complete this one alone. Done on offense.Difficulty: ModerateNot Even a ScratchWin a match without losing any siege vehicles. Unless players are faced against completely inept teams, this is one of the more difficult Achievements to pull off. In fact, I try to make it a point to spoil it for any player by destroying at least one vehicle in every game. Because siege vehicles are critical to winning, they are often -- and necessarily -- focused upon. They also cannot be healed, thus the only way to preserve tanks is to kill their attackers. This is another team effort. Groups determined to do this must focus on protecting their siege vehicles, which will more often than not, lead to winning. Good luck! Done on offense.Difficulty: Hard

Defense of the AncientsWin a match without losing any walls. This Achievement, a reference to DotA-AllStars, is extremely difficult for a Horde player to pull off right now because they need to defend for a full ten minutes. Until Blizzard implements the coin toss for Strand of the Ancients, Horde players must work much harder to defend walls. It's still doable, however, and a coordinated group can keep enemies from ever reaching the gates by staying on the docks, killing vehicles and players who pick up explosives. Difficult, but easier to do than Not Even a Scratch. Done on defense.Difficulty: Hard

Strand of the Ancients is a fun and fast-paced Battleground which is about as perfect as Battlegrounds can be (barring the Horde-always-starts-first limitation). I'm sure many players got more than half of the Achievements done over one weekend, as many of them don't require much effort. The rest should follow soon enough. Completing this Achievement brings players one step closer to Battlemaster.